The season opener may not have begun ideally for Syracuse, but a strong close to the match gave the Orange a win to start its 2015 campaign.

Despite losing the doubles point to start the match, No. 68 Syracuse (1-0) defeated Florida Gulf Coast (0-1) by a score of 4-3 after taking four out of six singles matches on Thursday in Fort Myers, Florida.

Senior Komal Safdar and sophomore Valeria Salazar, ranked No. 59 in the country as a pair, won their doubles match 6-4. But SU failed to take the doubles point due to a 6-6 (7-9) tiebreak loss from senior Amanda Rodgers and sophomore Rhiann Newborn, and a 0-6 loss from freshman Nicole Mitchell and sophomore Olivia Messineo.

The singles matches, though, were what turned the tide in Syracuse’s favor.

All four of the Orange’s singles victories were two-set affairs. Rodgers won 6-1, 7-6 (7-5), and Newborn also needed one tiebreak in earning a 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 victory. Salazar won easily by a score of 6-2, 6-4, and Mitchell secured the win for the Orange by winning 7-5, 6-2.

The two other singles matches were losses for Syracuse, with Safdar losing 3-6, 4-6, and senior Breanna Bachini defaulting her match at a score of 7-5 (3-4) after losing the first set.

The Orange will go for a 2-0 start when it faces No. 39 South Florida on Saturday in Tampa, Florida.